


Face Paint

by Jaegerbox



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Art, Fluff, M/M, Social Link, akira works through his insecurities, facepaint, paint, they also visit the bath house, they both have fun with paint, yusuke is in an art slump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 23:59:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11862378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaegerbox/pseuds/Jaegerbox
Summary: Yusuke visits Akira hoping to alleviate his art slump. Akira suggests that Yusuke paints on him and the pair work together to create art.





	Face Paint

Akira hadn’t expected Yusuke to text so late at night, he had already drifted asleep with Morgana on top of him; only to be startled awake by his phone vibrating.  
_“Please excuse the timing of this message. I’ll be stopping by Leblanc tomorrow morning, if you wish to hang out then I’ll be downstairs.”_  
Akira squinted at the text, the brightness of his phone causing a small amount of pain.  
“Will you hang out with Yusuke?” Morgana asked sleepily, yawning and stretching out; now lying stretched across Akira’s abdomen.  
“Mhmm.” Was all Akira vocalised before drifting back to sleep, phone still in hand as it hit the mattress. Morgana gave a small snicker before falling asleep once again.

\---

Akira awoke to the sound of Sojiro shouting up the stairs.  
“Hey, one of your friends is here!”  
Akira threw the sheets off himself and messily made his bed. Morgana had already cleared off and was sat on the banister of the stairs.  
“I’m going to visit Futaba.” Morgana announced. Jumping back down and running over to the open window, gracefully leaping out.  
Hurriedly Akira threw on his casual wear, ruffled his hair and adjusted his glasses. He picked up a toiletry bag that he kept on his shelf and made his way downstairs.

 

He could see Yusuke sat in one of the booths, a cup of coffee held delicately in his hands. Yusuke looked up, making eye contact with Akira. Akira held up his finger and mouthed “one minute”, heading into the small bathroom in the tiny corridor. He locked the door behind him, going over to the sink and quickly brushing his teeth, followed by swilling his mouth out with water and splashing his face to refresh himself. With a small hand towel he dabbed at his face. Satisfied with his now more presentable appearance, he grabbed the toiletry bag, unlocked the door and walked onto the main floor of the café; stepping over to Yusuke who looked up and smiled in greeting.  
“Good morning, I do hope I’m not intruding.” Yusuke said warmly.  
“Morning, and not at all; you’re welcome here anytime.” Akira responded, adjusting his glasses once again to rub his eyes. “What do you want to do today?”  
Yusuke hummed.  
“I’ve found myself in a bit of an artistic slump, I was hoping to spend time in your room and sketch; if that’s okay with you?”  
“Yeah, that’s fine. We’ll head up when you’re ready.”  
Yusuke nodded, finishing off his coffee and placing the empty cup back onto the table. Instinctively Akira picked it back up to take it over to the sink.  
“Here, let me handle that. You two go and have fun.” Sojiro chuckled, taking the empty cup from Akira and proceeding to wash it up.

Yusuke followed Akira up the stairs, taking in the musty atmosphere as soon as he reached the loft. Particles of dust glittered as the sunlight hit them, casting rays that cut through the air and onto the floor. Silence filled the room, not one of tension, but one of calm; the serenity before the day fully begins.  
Yusuke sat himself down on the sofa, taking out a sketchbook and a pencil case, settling them on his lap before he flipped the sketchbook open and began to rapidly sketch. Akira watched Yusuke for a moment before settling down on his bed, flicking through his phone and occasionally looking back to Yusuke to see how the artist was doing.

“Hmmm…” Yusuke all but growled.  
“Everything okay?” Akira asked, the low sound catching him off guard.  
“Nothing is working out, I sketch but there’s no emotion. I’m just turning myself into a human photocopier.” Yusuke was clearly annoyed, an expression Akira never really witnessed; and not one he wants to be a common occurrence.  
“Okay… what else do you have in your bag?” He hoped that prompting the artist would help alleviate some of his frustration.  
“Some paints; watercolour, oil – although oil takes far too long to dry for me to do anything here, acrylic, and rather childishly; face paint.” Yusuke looked up to Akira, bemused at the question. “Why do you ask?”  
“Seeing as pencil isn’t getting you anywhere, what about paint?”  
Yusuke sighed. “It would still be the same, except a painting without the emotion.”  
Akira scratched the back of his head, he hated seeing Yusuke in such a rut. Still, he wasn’t as knowledgeable about art as Yusuke was, he felt that anything he suggested Yusuke would have already thought of. “How about the face paints?” He asked rather innocently.  
Yusuke quirked a brow. “Akira, I’m not one for painting on the faces of others; it seems rather childish from my standpoint considering the type of art I create.”  
“I’m not suggesting you paint on someone’s face.” Akira pointed out.  
“Then what are you-?”  
“A body.”  
“A body?”  
Akira nodded.  
“I don’t foll- oh. Yes!” The penny dropped. “But of course! Living art, something that can breathe and move, adding a whole new dimension to a piece! Akira you are brilliant.” For the moment Yusuke looked genuinely elated about the prospect; that soon deflated as he looked down, voice lowering. “Although I’m lacking a body to paint on.”  
Akira coughed, now raising an eyebrow at Yusuke.  
“I am a body.”  
Yusuke eyes widened in surprise.  
“You’re okay with that? I mean, you wouldn’t mind becoming my canvas for the day?”  
Akira shrugged. “Why would I mind? If it’s helping out a friend I have no qualms.”  
“You truly are admirable when it comes to your friends.” Yusuke chuckled, folding his arms and looking into space; pondering. “We’ll need something for you to lie down on, I do not wish to get paint on your bed.”  
“Already have that covered.” Akira gave an amused smirk, crouching down in front of his bed and bringing out a rolled up sheet of canvas; rolling it towards Yusuke causing it to unfurl.  
Yusuke was silent for a moment, when he did speak he faltered.  
“You’re – you always come prepared…”  
Akira smiled gently. Out of all of the thieves, he was the one that had some kind of bizarre object lying around that would prove useful. Morgana was convinced he hoarded items “in advance” years before needing them.  
“Have you thought about where you would like to paint?”  
“I would like to try and paint on your back, if that’s okay with you?”  
Akira tilted his head, his fringe falling in front of his eyes slightly.  
“Fine by me.”

 

Akira grabbed the pillow off his bed, throwing it down onto the canvas before starting to remove his shirt. Yusuke busied himself with selecting the paints he wished to use, the brushes, and a collapsible water pot which he began to fill with water from a bottle he had in his bag. He glanced over at Akira who had gotten somewhat tangled in his shirt, stretching as much as he could to remove the blasted item. Yusuke observed the way Akira’s spine arched, how his ribs poked through his pale skin, and how the shadows were cast on his very slightly toned stomach; he was enthralled. Yusuke tried to find beauty in everything, his very first memory of beauty moving him so much was the painting “Sayuri”, the painting which his dearly departed mother had put her soul into, only to have it tarnished by greed. The second time was when he laid his eyes on Ann, she had a certain softness to her that was not to be taken advantage of; quirky and kind, confidant and fierce. Upon reflection his way of approaching her wasn’t tactful, however, had he not he wouldn’t have made the friends he has.

Then there was Akira, initially Yusuke had not thought much about the feelings he evoked within the young artist, however, the more time passed and the more he got to know Akira, the fonder he grew of him. This quiet boy wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, who despite the odds still offered a sliver of kindness to those who had committed sin, who focussed more on the present than let the past catch up to him. A boy of mystery and wonder. Yusuke often questioned what thoughts swam behind Akira’s thoughtful gaze; he never voiced these questions, it never felt right to ask.  
Even still, seeing Akira baring what he was comfortable with, wearing an expression of pure trust was more than Yusuke thought he could take. A simple but private moment.  
“Everything okay?” Akira asked, a smirk evident in his voice.  
Yusuke startled, being pulled out of his thoughts and realising he had been staring for quite a while and quite intensely.  
“Oh, yes. Fine, just thinking.”  
“Oh? Having something in mind for what you want to paint?”  
Yusuke held his fingers up to focus on Akira, he mused and muttered more to himself.  
“Hmmm, yes, I seem to be forming some kind of image.”  
“Well, whenever you’re ready.” Akira responded, kneeling on the canvas before lying down on his stomach and resting his head in his arms on the pillow.

 

Yusuke knelt down beside Akira, paints laid out to the side, the water pot nearby, and the selection of brushes laid out before him. He picked up a brush with small bristles, dipped it into the water; holding the face paint pan in hand, he swirled the brush around making the pigment lift until a dark splodge contrasted against the already dark paint. Yusuke cocked his head to the side before bringing the brush to a hover over Akira’s back. He hesitated. Yusuke strived for perfection, he knew that any mistake he made he could easily wash off and redo; however he was worried about the impression that would give Akira. Yusuke knew he was flawed like everyone else, yet he did not like others to see that side of him.  
“It’s okay.” Yusuke heard Akira murmur. “Art is a process, mistakes are made but you learn from them.”  
Yusuke smiled softly, Akira’s reassurance helped ease his mind a little more.  
“Thank you.”  
Gently, Yusuke brought the brush down upon Akira’s skin and lightly dragged it across his back, he felt the boy tense and squirm a little. He supressed a laugh, however it was evident in his voice.  
“Ticklish are we?”  
“…Quiet…” Akira groaned.

Yusuke chuckled and set back to work, wetting the brush once again and saturating it in paint, bringing it back down on Akira’s back; connecting where the previous line finished and continuing it. Slowly an outline of a piece began to manifest, delicate cherry blossoms sat around Akira’s shoulders as branches sprawled out; adorned with even more blossoms. Yusuke took a thicker brush and began to use quicker strokes, resulting in a faded effect on the marks left; in a way they reminded Yusuke of feathers. As more time passed the more the art built, when Yusuke took a breather to reflect on his progress he noted how the content of the piece progressively got darker in content the further down on Akira’s back it went; he saw where various excursions to Mementos had leaked into his inspiration, how hectic it was. He saw chains that sought to weigh others down which appeared to break the closer they got to the branches and feathers. Yusuke marvelled at what he had done, he had become so absorbed that his hand had a will of its own, even his own mind hadn’t registered what it was he was painting.

“How’s everything?” Akira sleepily asked, no wonder he hadn’t moved much during the painting – he was being lulled to sleep.  
“It’s… certainly becoming something…” Yusuke mused, unsure whether to tell Akira what he had painted so far, and unsure on how he himself actually felt about it.  
“The Wings of Rebellion perhaps?”  
“Huh?” The response took Yusuke off guard, certainly the painting did have that kind of meaning to it; he just didn’t expect Akira to be so forward with the thought. “W-Well… you could call it that. I still have a little more to do however.”  
“Take your time.” Again, the sleepy voice.  
Yusuke added a bit of shading and highlight to certain details, he had opted to just use black and white paints as he felt it would suit Akira better; colour would be something he would try at a later date… if Akira agreed to it of course.  
He dipped the brush into the water one last time as he brought the piece to a finish; letting out a large sigh as he sat back to admire his work. Yusuke had to admit he surprised himself with the amount of detail he managed to paint into skin, how he managed to adapt his lines and composition to match the different curvatures and dips on Akira. He’d need to document this of course.  
“We all done?” Akira lifted his head and craned his neck to look at Yusuke, giving a small smile when Yusuke nodded his head.  
“I just need to document this now.” Yusuke reached into his pocket for his phone, bringing up the camera app to snap a picture.  
“If you want better pictures you could use my camera? I have a DSLR that I brought from home.” Akira offered.  
“That would be most appreciated.” 

 

Akira eased himself up, stretching ever so slightly to alleviate any stiffness that had developed. He wandered over to the large cardboard box on the bottom shelf and dug around, eventually snagging his hand on what felt like a case and pulling it out of the box. He took the camera out of its protective case, removed the lens cap and walked over to Yusuke. He showed him the basic controls and then stepped away.  
“What would you like me to do?” Akira sounded nervous, he wasn’t really one for modelling, and without direction he felt lost and clueless.  
“I’ll tell you what to do.” Yusuke reassured, this eased Akira a little, but even still he felt a little embarrassed. He berated himself for feeling so, Yusuke was a friend, he wouldn’t judge – scratch that, he would judge but he wouldn’t always vocalise it. “Could you turn around and lift your arms like this, and your left leg like this?” Yusuke demonstrated.  
“I’ll try…” Akira murmured, imitating the pose Yusuke asked of him. He heard an audible “hmm” and heard Yusuke walk over to him, without saying anything Yusuke adjusted the position of Akira’s arms and his leg; stepping back to observe, only to step back forward and lightly turn and tip Akira’s head up. Once more Yusuke stepped back.  
“Ahhh, perfect. Do hold still for a moment.” Yusuke uttered quietly.  
Akira could hear the shutter on the camera go off multiple times before being told to relax by Yusuke.  
“Is that all?” He asked, puzzled.  
“Definitely not, I want to capture your splendour as much as possible!”  
“Oh, right.” Akira scratched his head sheepishly.

 

Both Akira and Yusuke fell into a rhythm, Yusuke would ask Akira to pose, would adjust him accordingly, and then take pictures. It felt like a strange yet elegant dance for the pair of them. For the most part it was done in silence, aside from small murmurs from Yusuke and disgruntled noises from Akira when he was asked to do poses that stretched more than he would have liked.

 

“You can relax now.” Yusuke said coolly as he flicked through the pictures on the camera, smiling to himself; clearly satisfied with the results. He looked over to Akira with a somewhat gloomy expression. “I suppose we should wash it off now.”  
“We don’t have to just yet.” That smirk was creeping up on Akira’s face again, light amusement in his voice. “I have an idea.”  
Yusuke raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, the camera around his neck balancing on them. “And what might that be?”  
Akira picked up one of the used brushes and pretended to paint Yusuke’s face.  
“Your turn.” He grinned.  
Yusuke frowned.  
“I’m not sure I follow…”  
Akira sighed but smiled warmly at Yusuke.  
“You painted my back, so now I’ll paint yours.”  
Yusuke wasn’t entirely sure what to do, there were some things he expected from Akira; this was not one of them. He never imagined the boy to have an interest in art, yes, Yusuke may have taken him to galleries in the past but simply because Akira agreed to go; Yusuke never really knew whether Akira paid much attention on their visits; he looked like he was, but that could have been a ruse. Now here he was, confronted with a situation in which he may have misjudged the boy; which in his mind was quite shameful of a friend to do.  
“I, uh…” Yusuke faltered. “You like art?” He mentally kicked himself for the bluntness of the question. He wanted to look away from Akira; already embarrassed enough. Yusuke was not met with sarcasm nor a snarky reply, instead he was met with a light chuckle and a gleam in Akira’s eyes.  
“I do enjoy the arts every now and then.” Akira answered. “I’m not as involved as you are, but as the occasional pastime I do get a small amount of enjoyment out of it.”  
“Oh, I see.” Yusuke was pleasantly surprised.  
“Do you want me to paint your back?” Akira asked, aware that the proposal may have made Yusuke uncomfortable.  
“I encourage it.” There was a sparkle in Yusuke’s eyes, curiosity and excitement melded into one. What art could Akira’s hands create? How did he view the world? What meaning could Yusuke derive from his work? Questions flooded his mind and he was eager to know the answers. Without really thinking Yusuke began to remove his shirt; completely oblivious to Akira’s presence in the room as he draped his shirt over the sofa and lay down on the canvas.  
“Is this okay?”  
Akira blinked, a light blush having crept up onto his cheeks.  
“Y-Yes, that will be just fine.”  
“That’s good to hear.” Yusuke relaxed, his head resting on his arms as he closed his eyes.

 

Akira knelt next to him, peering down at Yusuke’s back; imagining the things he could paint. Traditional ink paintings came to mind, those were certainly something that suited Yusuke well; although that may have a lot to do with his Fox mask in the Metaverse and his Persona Goemon. Either way, it was an elegance that complimented him.  
Gently he picked up a brush, dipped it into the water, and then wet the paint. Once the brush was pigmented enough, Akira set down the paint and hovered the brush over Yusuke’s back; bringing it down slowly until it made contact with bare skin. Yusuke tensed ever so slightly, the coolness taking him by surprise. Akira waited a moment before steadily making a stroke, then adding another, and another; the boy painted quick, haphazard lines, covering Yusuke’s back in an array of strokes with varying pressures and thickness. He could see a scene forming before him, mountainous peaks, rolling hills with a river cutting through, foxes dancing amongst the grasses.

“You have a very unique way of working.” Yusuke spoke softly, “I can’t wait to see it.”  
Akira hummed. “I just hope that it’s not a disappointment to you.”  
“When have you ever disappointed me?” The question startled Akira as he stilled his hand. He had doubts occasionally about his leadership and his interactions with his friends, sometimes believing that perhaps he didn’t live up to their expectations.  
“I-I’m not sure I can answer that… I’ve probably disappointed you at some point.” He came across as almost nonchalant which irked Yusuke ever so slightly.  
“You haven’t, Akira.” Yusuke’s voice was firm, he craned his neck to look at Akira, a deep frown on his face, eyes glimmering with a subdued anger. “Never have you done anything to disappoint me, or our team. You are a dependable leader, and outside of being thieves you are a considerate friend.”  
Akira watched Yusuke for a moment, he felt a pang in his chest as he slowly absorbed what was said. He felt a burning in his eyes as he willed himself not to let any tears escape; it would only make things awkward in his mind. Hastily he rubbed at his eyes, wiping away any that threatened to fall.  
“Akira?” Yusuke sounded surprised, no, concerned. He hadn’t expected such a reaction from him, Yusuke felt guilt bubble away in his stomach. Had he upset him?  
“It’s fine.” Akira reassured. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear something like that, that’s all.”  
Yusuke acknowledged Akira with a compassionate gaze, urging him to continue. Akira closed his eyes and sighed, setting the brush down on the canvas.  
“I’m so used to being alone, Yusuke. Even back home, I had few friends; anyone I interacted with were people I saw six days a week, that was it. There was no one I could depend on, no one who could depend on me. I felt like a prisoner to my own mind, so isolated, so apathetic. When I moved here I thought it would be the same, I was proven so wrong, but still…”  
“You still feel isolated?”  
Akira nodded, feeling tremendously guilty. He had friends, real friends he could rely on and talk to whatever time of day; yet, he still felt held back. The chains of his past life weighing him down; crushing him.  
“Pathetic isn’t it?” Akira gave a wry laugh.  
Yusuke frowned once again and sat up, facing Akira and firmly holding his face in his hands.  
“No, not in the slightest. You are human, it is not wrong of you to feel that way. For the longest time I felt I owed my life to Madarame, for giving me shelter, for nurturing my artistic talents. After the truth was revealed I was sickened to my very core; he disgraced the art world for his own gain. Yet still, after everything, I felt like I owed him; it’s not a feeling that disappears overnight.” Yusuke gently stroked Akira’s cheek with his thumb. “If you guys hadn’t opened my eyes, I may very well not be here; I pushed you away so many times. In the end, you saved me. So let us save you.”  
“Yusuke…” Akira’s lip trembled, vision blurred as hot tears began to cascade down his face; spilling onto Yusuke’s hands. With a tender smile, Yusuke wiped away the tears.  
“Don’t be ashamed, you are still the Akira we love and trust.”  
“I’m glad…” Akira whispered.

 

A moment of silence fell between them as they both collected their thoughts. Akira mindlessly dried Yusuke’s hands with his own shirt that he had left crumpled on the floor, tossing it aside once they were dry. With a mischievous grin, Akira picked up the paintbrush he had used earlier and with a quick motion flicked Yusuke in the face with it; leaving a sharp streak on the taller boy’s cheek.  
“Wha-?” Yusuke had flinched, staring at Akira wide-eyed as the other began to laugh heartily. “Oh, so that’s how you want to play?” A smirk broke onto Yusuke’s face as he loaded up another paintbrush, dotting a large splodge of paint onto Akira’s nose. Akira blinked and scrunched his nose; the coolness of the paint tickling it. Yusuke started to laugh himself, being cut short by Akira painting another line on his face. This continued until Yusuke had a pair of glasses painted on his face, and Akira had a curly moustache painted on his.  
“I still haven’t finished painting your back” Akira snorted.  
“My, we got a bit distracted.” Yusuke scratched the back of his head. “Shall I lie back down?”  
Akira shook his head. “It’s fine to stay sat, just details now.”

 

The boys sat in silence as Akira finished his own work of art on Yusuke’s back, adding in additional shading and details to bring it to life. Satisfied, he washed the used brushes in the water and laid them out to dry.  
“I guess now it’s time to take pictures.” He mused.  
“Let’s avoid taking pictures of my face for this.” Yusuke commented, amusement weaved in his voice.  
Akira picked up the camera and draped it around his neck, then offering a hand out to Yusuke to help him stand.  
“I’m not sure about how to direct people for modelling, I’ll leave that in your hands.” He said slightly embarrassed.  
“Consider it done.” Well, at least Yusuke sounded confident.

 

Yusuke pulled a variety of poses, some more dramatic and flamboyant than others, some quite subdued and modest. With each pose the shutter of the camera went off until Akira decided that they had enough photos. Yusuke walked over to his side as Akira flicked through the roll, the occasional hums in contemplation and whispers of “fascinating” and “marvellous”. To anyone else it would have sounded like Yusuke was blowing his own trumpet about his poses, but Akira knew that really Yusuke was appreciating their artistic endeavours.  
“I have to say.” Yusuke started, eyes still on the camera screen. “You have your own unique flair for art. It’s clear you’re still an amateur to the practice, but if this was something you wished to focus on I’m sure something great would come of it.”  
Akira laughed nervously.  
“I think I’ll keep this as something to do privately, I’m not sure the art world is for me.”  
“Very well.” Yusuke stretched his arms above his head, a few clicks heard here and though. “I suppose we ought to wash this off.”  
“Yeah…” Akira agreed, switching off the camera and placing it back into its case before picking up his own shirt. Yusuke had already start pulling his on; aside from the paint on his face he looked exactly the same. In fact, Akira didn’t think he’d even question if Yusuke had paint on his face normally. Swiftly he pulled his own shirt over his head and picked up his wallet.  
“Let’s go to the bathhouse, its quiet so thankfully no one will really question us.”  
“What will Boss think?” Yusuke suddenly sounded worried.  
Akira shrugged.  
“He’ll probably ask what we were doing and just sigh. Come on.” He made his way down the stairs.

\---

Leblanc itself was empty aside from Sojiro who was stroking his goatee whilst watching the TV. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the two teenagers approach the main floor, for a moment he didn’t register their appearance, as he did he raised an eyebrow.  
“What on earth have you been doing?”  
“Painting.” Akira answered coyly.  
“Don’t get smart with me.” Sojiro warned, he then sighed and chuckled. “Go and get yourselves washed and bathed. Just be aware of the time.”  
Akira nodded and headed out the entrance, Yusuke following quickly behind. 

Thankfully the bathhouse was less than a minute’s walk from Leblanc. The pair shuffled into the entrance of the bathhouse and paid the due amount. The elderly owner looked at them incredulously and shook their head, muttering “kids” under their breath.  
The pair of them entered the changing area, thankfully no one else was currently present. Both began to undress, folding their clothes neatly and placing their belongings in small lockers for safe keeping. They then proceeded to the showering area, both removed the basins from the stools and sat on them, filling up the buckets with water and pouring them over themselves.

“The paint won’t wash away with just water.” Yusuke reminded Akira. “I’ll wash your back and then you can wash mine.”  
“Deal.”  
Yusuke scrubbed away the painting on Akira’s back, the foamy bubbles taking on a grey colour as they mixed with the paint.  
“It’s sad to have to wash art away.” He said solemnly.  
“It’s not like we can’t do this again.” Akira added with a happier note. Wincing a tiny bit as Yusuke scrubbed an area of skin a bit too hard.  
“Hmm, that’s true.” Yusuke then washed away the soapy suds, wiping away any stubborn paint and pouring water over Akira’s back again. A faint shadow of the piece remained against patches of rash from the scrubbing. Yusuke stared for a moment, absently tracing over the shadow.  
Akira jumped at the touch, a blush creeping up onto his face.  
“F-Finished?”  
“Hmm? Oh, yes. Just admiring what’s left. Face paint has a tendency to leave an invert once washed off.” Yusuke appeared oblivious to Akira’s reaction.  
“I see… here, I’ll wash your back now.”  
Akira moved the stool so he was sat behind Yusuke, taking hold of Yusuke’s washcloth and dispensing some soap onto it. He began rubbing at his painting, leaving streaky marks as the paint stubbornly moved around, he poured some water onto Yusuke’s back and began the process of removing the art. Both sat in silence as this happened, Yusuke deep in thought and Akira concentrating on not causing irritation to the other’s skin.  
“There.” He breathed once the paint was fully removed.  
“Thank you.”

The two teenagers sat at their allocated shower heads, gently washing their faces to remove evidence of their paint fight from earlier, it took longer than they had expected, but eventually both were clean. They patted themselves down and wrapped the towels around their waists; returning the basins to their places prior to washing and then stepping through the sliding door to the baths.  
Both eased themselves into the hot water, leaving their folded towels on the side. There were a few elderly residents in the bath who paid no attention to the youths. Akira leant back against the side and relaxed, closing his eyes and allowing himself the pleasure of feeling his body warm up in the water. He opened his eyes and glanced over at Yusuke who appeared equally as relaxed.

“Painting was fun.” Yusuke stated, almost too bluntly. “I feel that it has certainly helped with my slump. Perhaps I should experiment with using bodies literally in my work. Thank you for your help today.”  
“It’s no problem, I enjoyed myself.”  
“You were undoubtedly relaxed, to the point you almost fell asleep.” There was a slight teasing tone to Yusuke’s voice, one that made Akira’s ears burn.  
Akira wasn’t going to allow himself be the only one to be embarrassed. With a smirk and half lidded gaze he gazed at Yusuke.  
“What can I say? Your hands are magical.”  
Yusuke’s eyes widened as he hissed. “Akira!” Face turning beet red.  
Akira snickered behind his hand. Sometimes Joker liked to make an appearance now and then.  
“Honestly, I never expected Joker to make an appearance.” Yusuke muttered.  
“As if Fox doesn’t make an appearance now and then.” Akira retorted.  
“He does?” Yusuke appeared almost bewildered for a moment, Akira couldn’t help but find his expression almost endearing. “How so?”  
“Uhh…” Akira thought, in reality there wasn’t much of a difference between Yusuke and Fox; both were just as dramatic and graceful. There were slight differences however, Fox was more ruthless, less reserved when dealing attacks, certainly more calculating when it came to manoeuvring the Metaverse. “Well, really both of you are very similar… but Fox is cold and ruthless in the face of an enemy, hecreeps through the Metaverse with curiosity and unbridled confidence.”  
“I see.” Yusuke folded his arms and held his chin, deep in thought once again. “It’s interesting, I never really notice a difference between us. I guess really I am stepping into my true feelings however.”  
“We don’t need to put on a façade when we’re there.” Akira spoke in a hushed tone. “Ironically speaking since that’s when our Personas are active.”  
Yusuke chuckled.  
“Honne and tatamae. Private mind and Public mind.”  
“Exactly.”

 

Time passed slowly, becoming increasingly aware of the time both Akira and Yusuke left the bath and dried off, proceeding to the changing room to change back into their everyday clothes. They thanked the owner on the way out and stood in the narrow street.  
“I really ought to be going.” Yusuke murmured as he looked at his phone. “Trains stop in an hour, whilst it won’t take me that long to return to the dorms, I’m aware that the dorms do lock up soon.” He looked quite sad at the prospect of having to leave.  
“Stay with me for the night.” Akira blurted, taking both himself and Yusuke by surprise. _“Stay with me for the night?”_ He thought, _“I should have said stay at Leblanc for the night. I sound desperate now.”_ Whilst Akira’s internal conflict raged a gentle smile had graced Yusuke’s face.  
“I would really enjoy that.”  
_“Oh, that was unexpected.”_  
Akira grinned, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

\---

Sojiro had closed Leblanc for the night and gone home; leaving the door unlocked for Akira despite him having a key. Akira let Yusuke in first before closing the door and locking it. The lights were still on in the café but the TV was off, it had a warming but slightly unnerving atmosphere due to the silence.  
“Come to think of it…” Akira muttered. “We’ve not eaten yet. Yusuke, when was the last time you ate?” Akira was expecting an answer he wouldn’t be pleased with, but the answer Yusuke provided went beyond that.  
“Oh, I sorted my finances the other day and had enough to buy an art book I really wanted. I’ve been living off wild mushrooms, salt, and water for the past three days.” Yusuke honestly looked so pleased with himself.  
“Yusuke Kitagawa!” Akira yelled. “That’s not enough nor healthy for someone your age and height.” Yusuke just stared at him, Akira gave a large sigh and pointed to one of the booths. “Sit down, I’ll heat up some curry and rice.” Yusuke obliged and sat patiently as Akira heated the curry pot and switched on the rice cooker; stirring the pot to avoid the bottom burning and hell from Sojiro. The ping of the rice machine went off and the curry was bubbling away, Akira turned off the burner and took out two plates, he fluffed the rice in the cooker before serving onto both plates and then ladled curry onto both. He brought both plates over to the booth and set them down on the table, returning to the kitchen to fetch cutlery which he also placed onto the table.  
“I didn’t add anything else to it today, so you needn’t worry about it being too spicy.”  
“That was an interesting addition…” Yusuke took a spoonful of curry and rice and chewed contently. Akira gave a soft smile before eating his own food.  
Idle chatter floated between them, ranging from school, exams, to nature and the universe.  
_“Maybe I should take him to the planetarium again.”_ Akira thought.

 

After they had finished, Akira washed up the dishes and Yusuke dried them, putting them back in their respectable cupboards. The two then headed upstairs to Akira’s loft bedroom, Yusuke put his supplies away as Akira rolled up the canvas and put it back under the bed. As Yusuke took out a different sketchbook and began to sketch, Akira rummaged through clothing until he found something that would be suitable for Yusuke to sleep in.  
“Here.” He said as he placed the folded clothes next to the artist. Yusuke looked up momentarily confused. “Well you can’t sleep in your outdoor clothing. The trousers might be a bit short on you, but the top should fit fine.” Akira answered Yusuke’s questioning look.  
“Ah, thank you.” Yusuke smiled as he closed his sketchbook, placing it down and picking up the pyjamas. “I’ll get changed now, it’s quite late.” Akira nodded and walked over to his bed, undressing and putting on his pyjamas. As Yusuke changed, Akira rummaged through a smaller box, taking out an unopened toothbrush.  
“Catch.” He gave little warning as he tossed the toothbrush to Yusuke, who just managed to catch it; albeit with a small juggling act. “You can use anything in the toiletry bag, just leave it in the bathroom as I’ll go in after you.”  
“How gracious of you.”  
Akira grinned as Yusuke walked over to the shelves closest to the bed to pick up the toiletry bag. His steps faded as he walked down the stairs. Akira laid down on his bed, scrolling through his phone, answering texts from friends, and reading the news. He placed his phone down and closed his eyes, he was only woken up by a slight nudging of his arm.

“Akira… Akira.”  
“Hmm?”  
“Go and brush your teeth, you fell asleep.” Yusuke’s warm timbre wasn’t helping with waking Akira up.  
“Alright…” Akira groggily sat up, stood up, swayed a bit and then made his way downstairs. He zoned out when brushing his teeth, splashing cold water in his face seemed to have made him sleepier too. Once done with his business, he took the toiletry bag back upstairs and placed it back on his shelf. Yusuke had already situated himself on the sofa to sleep.  
“Yusuke, sleep in my bed. It’s more comfortable.” Akira said drowsily, some words slurring.  
“I assure you, I’m quite alright on the sofa.” The tall boy assured.  
“You’re five foot eleven, I’m five foot nine; I barely fit on that sofa. You have no chance.”  
“Where will you sleep?”  
“We could… share?” Akira through the question out there, again feeling like he was desperate.  
“Oh… that… that could be quite nice.” Yusuke avoided Akira’s gaze, Akira quickly looked up to the rafters. This was awkward. He was only snapped out of his crisis when Yusuke stood up and walked over to Akira’s bed, making himself perfectly comfortable near the window. Akira gave a tender smile before climbing into bed himself, pulling the covers over him and Yusuke.  
“It’s like a sleepover.” He tittered to himself.  
“Is it normal for people our age to be having sleepovers?” Yusuke asked curiously, wondering what Akira’s thoughts would be on the topic.  
“I don’t know about you, but I’ll still be having sleepovers well into my twenties.”  
Yusuke gave a low chuckle. “I hope I’m invited to those.”  
“You can guarantee it.”

It didn’t take long for either of them to fall asleep, out of habit, Akira wrapped an arm around Yusuke and nuzzled into his back; Yusuke responded by bringing one of his hands up to hold Akira’s.

\---

The next morning Akira awoke bleary eyed, he brought a hand up to rub at his eyes; which proceeded to make his vision worse. In the process of bringing his other arm up to stretch he had whacked Yusuke over the head, only to be met with an unhappy grunt. Akira laughed.  
“Sorry Yusuke.”  
“S’okay…” The boy replied sitting up and staring into space, his own eyes failing him; eventually he regained focus.  
“I think Sojiro is here…”Akira murmured, his prediction was correct as Sojiro shouted up the stairs.  
“Hey! The café’s not open yet, so if you want to get some breakfast get it now!”  
“I heard something about food.” Yusuke was alert.  
“Come on, let’s get you fed.”

 

Both boys padded down the stairs in their pyjamas, Sojiro noted Akira and then Yusuke, pleasantly surprised. “Oh, Yusuke. G’morning.”  
“Good morning.” Yusuke replied, suppressing a yawn.  
Sojiro raised an eyebrow at the pair of them.  
“Have fun?”  
“Yeah.” Akira dragged out.  
“The most in a while.” Yusuke added.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It's been quite a while since I've written any kind of fanfic and it's my first time writing something based on Shukita and Persona 5!
> 
> An added noted about Honne and Tatamae, the words describe the difference between one's true feelings and desires, and the behaviour and opinions they display in public. Honne is what is kept private from society and may be shown to one's closest friends, Tatamae is what is expected by society and what is required depending on position. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed it! Kudos and comments are very much welcome, I honestly encourage them! Even if it's a keyboard smash! Truly, thank you so much.


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